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8 Jun 2015

FIELD DAY SUNDAY PREVIEW - who to see

OK so Field Day 2015 (Sunday), the best festival line up of the year by far, right? As well as Ride's first UK festival headline slot, they've also booked Patti Smith to play seminal album Horses in full, as well as DIIV's first UK show since Latitude 2013 (I was there, ayy), a rare LDN Mac DeMarco performance, and Savages' first show since they've been talking about their new album and playing residencies in NYC. Oh oh oh, and lots of my other favourites bands are there too; Hookworms, Yak, Jane Weaver, Gaz Coombes, Eagulls and Ex Hex. BUT there's literally so much going on that you can't see everyone! So here are the almost non-clashing bands you need to get yr arse to on Sunday.

RIDE - Main Stage 21.00 - 22.30

Ok, this one's obvious but Ride are my favourite band ever ever ever (if I had to pick a favourite band, and sometimes when I'm listening to Daydream Nation or a Pavement best of it's too upsetting to try and pick out a favourite) and this will be the second time I see them (which is pretty spot on for someone that wasn't born as they played 90% of their UK shows). This should be a really special performance, and Ride are the perfect band to headline a festival. Their songs vary from perfect power-pop explosions of noise like Chelsea Girl and Like A Daydream, sprawling shoegaze masterpieces like Leave Them All Behind and Cool Your Boots, and roaring neo-psychedelic bangers like the immortal Seagull. They're also been covering The Beatles (Tomorrow Never Knows) and The Stooges (I Wanna Be Your Dog) so there's going to be some fucking gems in there and this is going to be a bloody good set.

HOOKWORMS - Shacklewell Arms 18.50 - 19.30
RIGHT so you've got to make the big choice... are you going to see seminal punk godmother Patti Smith perform seminal masterpiece Horses or are you going to see the best live act in the world right now, the all-conquering Hookworms, who released the best album of all of last year and the best album of all of the year before? IT'S SUCH A TOUGH CHOICE WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO US FIELD DAY? But right, so here's what I'll tell you; if you choose to see the Leeds noise-rock five piece, you can't go wrong; they're insane live, and probably my own favourite band to see live at the minute (if I choose them it'll be my 8th time seeing them). But Patti Smith is on at the same time, and you might not see her again. If you've never seen Hookworms, SEE THEM AT FIELD DAY, or at least promise me you'll see them at some point THEY ARE THE BOMB. Catch them at Field Day, because they might just be the best thing you see all day.

MORE NOISE FROM LEEDS, because nothing says getting into the Summer festival spirit like moshing to some angry, dystopian northern noise made by one of the most vicious sounding 5-pieces ever. But I guess under the general post-punk pastiche, what Eagulls do bring (as well as some shooooegazing guitar lines they're indebted to the headliners for) is perfect pop songs dripping with venom and menace. They're a great live band, and their debut record was our #2 album of all of 2014. Even though they'll bring some gloomy visceral anger to your day, they'll also deliver one of the punchiest sets of Field Day.

EX HEX - Shacklewell Arms 13.25 - 13.55
OK, so Ex Hex are an American band that are fairly new to the world, although the members have been in cool and hip bands before. Basically, they're a three piece that make really energetic indie rock, that leans towards that kinda riotous Sleater-Kinney sound whilst still sounding fairly clean cut. Last year they put out a record called Rips, and it was really rather good.JANE WEAVER - Moth Club - 17.55 - 18.35
Jane Weaver is one of the most underrated singer songwriters on the circuit ATM, so you really should catch her doing her thing as the sun goes down on Victoria Park. She's just brought out a record, and it's full of brilliant, dreamy songs; the dreamy atmospherics of the Cocteaus and the raw vocal qualities of Joni Mitchell; basically she's a brilliant talent and if yr at her set on Sunday you should look at for me grooving away.

DIIV - Main Stage - 15.30 - 16.30
DIIV are a euphoric bunch of 21st century shoegazers, and even though (because most of their material is named after aquatic phenomena) you'd think their songs' subject matter would be more suited to a rainy Field Day, they'll be perfect listening on a sunny sunny day. Right, maybe to totally enjoy the Field Day experience you're going to have to forget that the bassist's a sexist, racist bully, and just enjoy the euphoric music that kind of blends that NYC Cap Trax dreampop a la Wild Nothing with more aggressive punk rock thrashing. Although it means you'll be missing the almighty Viet Cong, DIIV are so much better live than on record and their almighty sonic cathedral will probably blow you away.

MAC DEMARCO - Main Stage - 17.00 - 18.00I've listened to the Mac records hundreds of times over, and I'm still not 100% sure of what I think of his music. I know everyone on twitter loves him. I know my mum likes him. Hell, Tyler the Creator loves him. But this will be a bloody good opportunity to see just how much of a force for musical good Mac is. I'm pretty sure I like him, but sometimes Iisten to his records (particularly Salad Days) and question just how much I really love his work. Still, if nothing else his dreamy calyptic songstry should be in tune with the forcasted sunshine, because this guy's music is the summeriest sound imaginable.

YAK - Verity Stage - 19.50 - 20.20
OK so right maybe if you don't wanna miss any Patti Smith (I don't think I do but maybe I'll see Hookworms instead) this isn't for you, but Yak are an intense live act you gotta see. Their stuff varies from slow psych whirlpools to intense psychobilly, making sure they deliver a volatile but unmissable live show and are one of those 'next big thing bands' that really should be the next big thing.

ANYWAY, you can search yr own clashfinder up on the official website, because let's face it, you aren't gonna wanna go to all the same bands as me - so check it out here.

But if you are going to see any of the aforementioned US dreampoppers or Leeds-based noise merchants or whoever, be sure to say hi to me (the long haired music geek in the Ride t shirt permanently attached to his girlfriend)

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Vapour Trail is an online music platform set up in 2014, run by Cal Cashin (@calcashin_). We like loud guitars, great characters, and beautiful music. Direct all questions to @vapourtrailblog or vapourtrailblog@gmail.com